Don Meredith was literally the first Dallas Cowboy. The two-time All-American from SMU signed a contract in 1959 before the franchise even had a name. Meredith quoted the contract as saying "If we get a National Football League franchise, we'd like for you to play quarterback." After leading the Cowboys through the 60s, he abruptly retired from football in 1969 at age 31 saying his heart was no longer in it. His second marriage was also falling apart at the time. He left too early to be a part of the Cowboys first Super Bowl win in 1971.
In 1970, ABC snapped him up for a risky little TV show they were about to start called Monday Night Football. Meredith, Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell made the show an institution. Meredith retired from broadcasting in 1984, but along the way became a TV actor, appearing in made for television movies, the series Police Story, and numerous Lipton Tea commercials.
Meredith is pictured below with another giant, Tom Landry:
